Mark Valley of 'Fringe' talks about playing dead as John Scott

So who does Agent John Scott on "Fringe" work for? Is he alive or dead? Is he just a figment of Olivia's imagination or shared memories as Walter (John Noble) thinks? Unfortunately, actor Mark Valley, who plays FBI Agent Scott, was pretty cryptic on a conference call about what's going on, but his character is supposed to play a major role in the next episode, "The Transformation," airing 9/8 C Feb. 3.

"The Transformation" takes things back to the "Fringe" pilot with another weird event on a jumbo jet that leaves behind some freakish remains. Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter (Joshua Jackson) then have to go undercover to find out what happened on the plane. Many of the questions about Scott will be wrapped up in the episode. So is his character a bad guy or just misunderstood?

Mark Valley: "Whether he's good or bad, there's a degree of guilt he carries around with him. He's a real believer, really serious about what he does. He's loyal to whoever he works for. The upcoming storylines do answer some questions that linger in my mind. (Like) who he's been working for. It confirms the verity of his feelings for Olivia."

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And who might that be he's working for?

Valley: "My theory is he's working for the government and the postal service and he's not very happy about it. He's a disgruntled postal worker."

Since Valley isn't serious about going postal, the question of whether he's working for or against Massive Dynamic is still unanswered. Valley said that even if his storyline gets wrapped up, he wouldn't rule anything out about a possible return for John Scott. He also was asked whether we would see John Scott in the flesh again or just in Olivia's mind.

Valley: "I can't really say, you'll probably see both."

(I'm thinking they've got to drag out the real John Scott eventually if they want to tie up anything.)

For an actor, Valley definitely had a strange situation coming into "Fringe" -- his character essentially died in the pilot episode, but as he pointed out, he's gotten "a lot of work for a dead guy."

Valley: "When somebody's dead, your job is a lot easier, you just have to lay there and not do anything. The challenge is playing a character who is in Olivia's memory or consciousness. What does he remember and what does he not?"

But working with Anna Torv as Olivia has been one of the easier parts of the job.

Valley: "She's a fantastic actress, she has such a solid sense about what's going on in a scene. She's my favorite one on the show to be honest with you. I think the FBI would take Anna on right now if she applied."
(This quote has taken on whole new meaning now that word has gotten out that Anna Torv and Mark Valley just got married in real life.)

Valley, who graduated from West Point with a degree in math and engineering and served in the Gulf War, doesn't rule out some of the "Fringe" science, but he doesn't believe most of it could happen in real life.

Valley: "Then again, I don't believe in ghosts and some people believe in ghosts. I guess I'd have to see it for myself."

Although when asked to name what show inspired him as an actor, he did pick a sci-fi angle with "Star Trek." When Valley joined the cast of "Boston Legal," he even got to work with William Shatner who played his childhood hero, Captain Kirk.

Valley: "Whenever they beamed him down, you never knew what it was going to be like."